NIGERIA GETS $85 MILLION TO FIGHT POLIO

Japan has provided a loan of $85 million towards Nigeria’s campaign to eradicate polio. Japan’s Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr Ryuichi Shoji, said that the loan would build a robust bridge for Nigeria to achieve the goal of polio eradication. He said the government of Japan had been in partnership with Nigeria, towards polio eradication, since 2000.

The loan would have preferential interest rate of 0.2% per cent and will be utilised for procurement of polio vaccines for children less than five years of age.

He further said that: ‘polio eradication in the country would benefit other countries because as long as a single child remained infected, children in all countries were at risk of polio.’

According to Nigeria’s minister of health, the vaccines will be used for polio campaigns next month.

Polio is still endemic in three countries – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.